


Beneath Warm Stars

by dbvdbn



Category: None - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-23 21:55:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15615870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dbvdbn/pseuds/dbvdbn
Summary: This is WIP.  I promise I'll finish it!





	Beneath Warm Stars

My father promised this vacation for seven years and my mother spent just as many planning it. I, on the other hand, dreaded the upcoming months. No game station, no console, no internet - for two whole months. I’ve said goodbyes to my sanity and loaded my iPad with as many manga and games as it allowed me. Then I loaded a few jump drives for a good measure. I really had no idea what was coming my way. My eight year old brother, on the other hand, was on top of the world. He quickly packed up his uHandy, his ipencil and iPad and was ready to go. For an eight year old, Luke was extremely talented and nature curious. 

“Mom, can I not go? James said his parents don’t mind if I stay with them.” I still begged, trying my luck. 

“Out of the question!” 

I sulked for forty eight ours, immersed in a game I forgot ten minutes after I finished it. And soon enough I found myself on the plane of AA enjoying the same shitty service offered by any other airline. I couldn’t believe my mother spent a small fortune on a Tuscan Villa on the lake, yet refused to pay for first class seats. I spent next fourteen hours in pure misery. Seven on the plain, five on the train and two more in the car, and we were all together - as a family. 

 

We were greeted by the housekeeper and her son. The lady was voluptuous, stout and unremarkable, but the boy - took my breath away. Chestnut wavy locks hung messy and loose down to his shoulders. Eyes so dark they appeared black were rimed by long, full eyelashes. His nose was perfectly strait and he had large, sensual lips. He wore short faded shorts and a threadbare t shirt that was practically see through. Instinctively I ogled him up and down. Wide calves, well defined hamstring, broad chest and taught stomach. Beautiful shoulders and arms. His skin was smooth and tanned, and he had almost no hair anywhere, as if puberty didn’t hit him yet. The boy was sultry in a manner only a Mediterranean boy could be and I crashed, with all my heart. The lady introduced him as Umberto and warned he didn’t speak a word of English. Personal form of rebellion, she explained. 

 

My mother was in heaven, my brother was in heaven, my father slept and I found a comfortable and wide tree branch to read on. I ate, slept, read and swam. When I wasn’t doing any of the above I though about the boy and I roamed inside and outside the villa trying to catch a glimpse of him. The olive groves were beautiful and sun set over the rolling hills in brightest oranges and reds. I grew up a city boy and hated to admit, but the sights of this place were truly idilic. 

 

A week into our stay I began to notice my things disappearing on me. The iPad I was reading would go misplaced for a few hours, my shorts, shirts and even flip flops would go missing for days only to miraculously turn up in the clean laundry pile. I asked my brother if any of his laundry was going astray, the answer was no. I was both angry and intrigued. I was fearful and embraced, because my fudanshi heart was plastered all over my iPad. There was only one person that would be interested in my things. 

I soon ran out of reading material. “Mom!!! I need wifi! Mom!!! I’m gonna die here! Mom! Mom!!!!” I nagged and nagged from the top of my lungs. 

“Oh my Lord! Please, my pedunkee mufkin, figure IT OUT! You are old enough to solve things for yourself.” She chided. 

“Have Umberto take you to town, you can then have all the wifi your heart desires.”

“Mom! Don’t call me that! I fucking hate that nick name!” I gave a retort. “Then don’t bug me, you’re not a baby anymore.” Was all she had to say. 

‘Umberto, Umberto!!!’ I sighed internally. This Umberto has been borrowing my iPad any time I was away. I would read in bed, but find it in the kitchen. I would read in the kitchen, but find it in the outdoor patio. I would read it in my favorite tree, but find it in the parlor on the sofa. I couldn’t believe it, he didn’t even speak a word of English. Yet there he was passing me my tabled with a smirk on his face. 

“Gusto interessante che hai lì.” He said handing it to me with a page open on a particularly graphic scene of ‘Double Mints’. I was pretty thick skinned by nature, but I felt my face grow warm with embarrassment. 

“You fucker, don’t you dare steal this again.” Grumbling under my breath I walked away only to have him catch up. 

“La mamma ha detto che devi andare in città, vieni io ti prendo.” He said pulling me along. I ended up next to a rusty antique bike that I couldn’t ride if my life depended on it. 

“Montare.” He said pointing to the sorry, rusty thing. 

“Fuck no! Look at this shit! Do you want to kill me here?!” I buckled crossing my arms at the chest. 

“Non essere un bambino!” He smiled. “Non dirmelo, il bambino non può andare in bicicletta?!” He teased mercilessly. 

“You fucker! What do you know!” I barked at him mounting the rusty piece of shit. Two meters forward and I tumbled like an idiot that I am. I really couldn’t ride the bike - I never learned.

“Fermati, fermati, fermati, ti insegnerò!” I heard from behind me. What the hell did he want now? My face was already red with embarrassment, but he still pushed forth. Rusty, rackety thing under my butt, Umberto placed my right leg on the pedal and pushed me forward. 

“Spingere forte!” He screamed at me. “What the fuuuuuuckkkkk!!!” “Gamba sinistra, spingere forte!” He followed, catching the rusty bike with is hand. 

“Equilibrio, equilibrio, equilibrio…!!! Bene, va bene .... continua …” He laughed pushing and balancing me along. Here I was, trying to pedal my way down hill and not break my neck! 

“AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!” I screamed terrified, barely holding on to the handle bars. “You’re gonna be the death of me, you fucker!” I fell again and again, and he made me get up and try again and again. Somewhere in the back of my mind I wished for a smooth black top and kneepads with a helmet, but I was on the dirt and gravel road with my skin as my only protection. 

I don’t know how, but he got me down the hill and into town in one piece. Half holding on to me, half to the handle bars he guided me steadily and firmly until I could finally go on my own. The day was sultry. By the time we got to the internet cafe my shirt was soaked in sweat, but I found no relief inside. 

Ancient monitors and desktops that still ran Windows 2000 were all this place had to offer. Limping wifi managed to pull 1.5 mbs, but it was enough to get some new books and a game or two. Meanwhile, Umberto spent his time chatting with the cafe owner and the number of times I heard ‘bionda’ drove me incensed, but the attention, good or bad, still brought color to my already hot cheeks. 

The way back was hard work. Balancing and pedaling up made my hamstrings cry out in terror and my calves sing operetta, but I made it back with some cheerful banter ahead of me that I could only hear, or understand, a fraction of. By the time we made it back I was sweating bullets and panting like a dog. My stamina as a swimmer did nothing for such brutal pedaling in the smoldering heat of Italian summer. 

“Thank you for taking me,” I managed somehow “and thank you for teaching me.” 

“Prego.” The smile that he returned with his “welcome” added more color to my face. I cursed and cursed inside my head for the shitty complexion of my nordic ancestors, but there was no hiding from it. And he saw it. 

Rushing back to my room I resumed the daily life of reading, swimming and eating, but my head was full of that smile. I craved more and more to see it on his face. Instinctively I looked for him day in and day out. I looked for him at the lake, I looked for him after breakfast, and I looked for him at night, resting in the olive groves. I no loner cared if my iPad disappearing on me, and I was no longer ashamed for my fudanshi heart, for never did I see derision, ridicule or judgement in that face. All I saw was pure affection and I didn’t want to see anything else. 

 

One day I rummaged around trying to find my favorite pair of underwear I knew I haven't worn yet, but I couldn't find them.  Yelling at my mother to ask for them was my first instinct, but she's on vacation and completely refused to do any household chores on principle, so I had to take matter into my own hands.  I remembered the housekeeper usually did laundry outside, in the small courtyard in the back where a manual pump well was.  I went downstairs to see if anything has been hung up on clothe-lines.  

I emerged into sun flooded space to see a perky bottom and tanned skin of the boy stomping around in a large plastic basin.  I got jealous 'af', that butt looked so much better than mine.  That is until I realized - that butt was wearing my favorite underwear!  

"You fucker!!!!"  I raged at him pointing at his midsection.  "These are my favorite, you fucking pervert!  What the hell!  Take them off, now!" I was practically screaming.

"Rilassa il monello viziato!  Il tuo bucato sarà fatto presto .... molto presto..."  I heard the most casual reply. 

The word incensed came to mind, yes, I was definitely incensed.  I pointed at his crotch and let him know in a firm manner that these were mine.  

"Take them off fucker!"  I grumbled at him.

"Ahhh, questi... Sono molto comodi, grazie."  Came the reply with a fain of innocence.  

“Take them off I said!” clearly pointing at the undergarment and was met with an alluring yet condescending smile that said ‘bugger off you idiot’.

“Fa caldo, ma non ho intenzione di fare il bucato con i miei dadi appesi fuori. Aspetta pazientemente.” 

“Pazientemente my ass!” I screamed at him reaching for my favorite pair, brain completely non functional with anger. My hands clawed at the waist band trying to tug it down. 

“Che diavolo pensi di fare!!!” He screamed back at me grabbing my hands, trying to pull them of off his waist. 

“Give them back, fucker!” I grumbled still tugging. Suddenly he bent down, and as I finally succeeded in tugging them off that perky butt I was met with a hose in my face that dowsed me with ice cold water. 

“Aaaaaahhhhhhh fuuuuuuuuckkkkk!” I screamed. “I’m gonna fucking kill you, you mofo!” Cold water was harsh and he wielded that garden hose a as city firefighter fighting fire. I screamed and raged struggling agains the steam trying to capture his wrists. And as I finally got a hold of them bright laughter rang across stone courtyard. I looked upon that laughing face and got infected. 

How?!! I couldn’t understand how my rage has suddenly evaporated into thin air and was replaced with unbelievable mirth. I laughed with him as cold stream enveloped us both. The boy glistened in the sun, water droplets sparkling like diamonds on tanned skin. Hot Tuscan sun burned and I didn’t notice how we tumbled down, spilling a load full of wet clothes and basin of water over us, I only remember the that he was on top of me, cold cheek agains hot chest. My heart drummed against my ribs loud enough for me to hear and the moment stretched into infinity and beauty.

He pushed himself up peering into my eyes and grinning and I lost my breath at that alluring smile. I don’t know how long we stayed like that, but eventually I found the strength to push him off.

“Fine! Keep them.” I said, finally getting up and going to change. 

 

A few weeks more into our stay I realized that my soda, my precious source of high fructose corn sirup and caffeine was disappearing at an alarming rate. Naturally I blamed it all on my brother and appealed to my mom for help. 

“He’s been steeling it! Look at this bottle!” I complained vehemently, brandishing two liter bottle of Coke that was almost half empty. “Just look at this, I only opened it this morning.”

“I didn’t do it!!! I don’t even drink this poison!” Luka wined with dismay at the injustice. 

“Figure it out for yourselves.” Mom said in her firm and final tone. She will not do a shit about this now. It was up to me to find the culprit.

I spent the next few days stalking the fridge from a good vantage point. It was only on day three that I caught him. ‘Fucker!!! You steel my favorite underwear and now you’re drinking my soda!’ I was close to jumping on top of that mofo to choke the living shit out of him, but my malice stayed my hands. ‘I’ll fucking get you, bugger.’ I promised to myself.

I stalked him for the next few days figuring out exactly when he went for the fridge and my beloved beverage. ‘He he he…. Two hours after breakfast on the dot mofo! Your ass is mine!’ I gloated.

The very next day I snuck into the kitchen before his arrival with a new two liter bottle. Before sticking it in the fridge I gave it a very long and very vigorous shake. I shook it so hard I thought I’d rip off my arms. I set my bomb down in the fridge door and went around to observe my victim. Lo and behold, two hours after breakfast he went for it. Momentarily I wished for diet coke and menthos, but once a mint is in the bottle, there is no closing it back. 

Without second though or hesitation he opened up the cap, and got a face full of coke. I came out of my hiding spot laughing my ass off . 

“Got you fucker! Serves you right for steeling my shit!” I laughed in his face. 

“Sei un figlio di puttana!” He screamed at me aiming the bottle at my face and spraying me with gushing coke. 

“You mofo!” I grumbled grabbing both his hands and the bottle at the same time. We struggled and shook that innocent bottle until the entire content was dripping of off us. Faces and chests sticky and sweet we locked eyes in anger. I was furious and couldn’t be bothered to hold back, I was ready to punch his face until a smile appeared on his face and completely disarmed me. Then my stomach lit up on fire and purest impulse drove me - I kissed him. I put my lips on his and took them firmly, tenderly. Empty, disfigured coke bottle dropped to the floor as my arms encircled his waist and I kissed him deeply and with abandon. 

Never in my life has I experienced a kiss like this, sweetness of the soda and taste of the boy exploded in my mouth. My head got dizzy and the pit of my gut burned with a natural response. We kissed and I felt his desire rise against me, but he pushed me away, gently. 

“Non essere così avaro, sei un matto!” He grumbled embarrassed. He went to get a mop while I found a rag and wetted it with cold water. Together we cleaned up the mess we made as best as possible, but once done - he left me, just left me withought even a look back. 

My heart sank to the floor as if someone dropped a brick on top of it. ‘What was that?’ I though. ‘The bugger just left!’ I didn’t know what to think, I didn’t know what to do. So I did what I do best when I can’t use my brain. I used my body. 

Swimming jammer on I dove into the cold lake. I did laps back and forth until my head cleared and I could ignore the nagging impulses of my body, but with the corner of my eye I saw him watching me. 

I woke up in the dead of night blue as a boy could be, but as I helped myself and felt my body finally relaxed I noticed a building turmoil in my head that had no outlet. Frustration I never knew before set in, but the source of all that I pushed aside as hard as I could and went back to sleep. 

 

I noticed he watched me every time I did my laps. I never slacked because training and competitions would resume as soon as I got back to school and mom put a lot of effort finding a place with a pool and open water for just that reason. 

One day I found him sitting on the dock in a speedo looking towards me. 

“Insegnami come nuotare!” He yelled at me. “Ricambiare il favore. Ti ho insegnato come andare in bicicletta.” 

I couldn’t quite get the Italian, but the movement mimicking mine in the water gave me a good idea of what he wanted. I quickly paddled over to him and motioned forward. 

“Come, jump in.” 

“Nehhhhhh…..” He answered me shaking his head.

“I’ll get you, I won’t let go, I promise.” I held both of my hands out ready to catch him in the water. 

“Figlio di puttana, Ti ucciderò se tu se stai mentendo.” He gave a retort with a doubt on his face.  
“For fuck’s sakes, get in here!” He jumped in, with closed eyes and look of recklessness on his face. His body was shivering and stiff when I caught him. 

“Relax… relax… relax… I got you!” I held him until his body slacked and he gave it up fully to my manipulations. I taught him how to tread the water and how to paddle. 

“Posso nuotare ora!” Strange exclamation came as I watched Umberto paddle the water. “He he he….. You need to learn how to float on your back next. You need to trust the water, then swimming is easy.” In the shallows I laid on my back and showed him the float. My eyes closed I let my body relax spreading my hands wide open. I floated there so that he could see the ease and simplicity of the exercise. 

“Now you try, first with me holding you up and then not.” 

“Noooo!” 

I signed and placed my arms, palms up on the water. “Get on your back!” It took some convincing, but Umberto was eventually on his back with left hand under the small of his back and my right under his shoulder blades. I savored the feel of him in my hands. He had his eyes closed, and I had an overwhelming desire to kiss him. 

“Take big breaths and relax.” I said, exaggerating my inhales so that he understands me. “The air in your lungs will help keep you afloat… . Yes, just like that… . Good… . Good… .”

“Non lasciarmi andare.” 

“What ever you say…” . I had to let go of him, holding him was getting me aroused and I had no place to hide in my jammer. And he wouldn’t be able to float until he wasn’t afraid to. I lowered myself in the water until I was face to face with him and supporting him only with my fingertips. 

“Stay this way, I’m going to move my hands away, but I’ll be right here. I won’t let you sink.” 

When I moved my hands Umberto floated perfectly. 

“Good. Good. You’re doing it all on your own!” His eyes popped open as his body folded on itself and he suddenly sank. My hand that was still underneath caught his butt and pushed it back up. 

“Relax... Relax... Relax...” I tried to coax him again, but he wouldn’t have it, because he was trying to hide exactly the same thing I was hiding under the water. I was so concentrated and teaching and my own state, that I failed to notice his. 

“Abbastanza!” He finally stood, turned around and walked away from me. 

“Let’s pick it up tomorrow!” I yelled once he was further away. I swam back to my usual place and did a hundred more laps. And at night I relieved myself recalling the feeling of Umberto’s body in my arms. 

 

The next day at my swimming hour, I found Umberto floating on his back waiting for me. He was beautiful, long wavy hair floating loosely on the surface of the water. Skin tanned and smooth, water droplets sparking in the sun. His swimming shorts left nothing to imagination. I swallowed and dove in, the shock of cool water bringing me back to my senses. Getting close to him I explained the freestyle stroke and then showed it to him. 

Unafraid to put his hands in the water, Umberto was eager to try the new stroke. I put my hands out and he moved over them. My left hand was under his stomach, and my right under his chest. I walked him back and forth as I explained how to kick and turn his face to side to breathe. It was much more difficult to teach than the back float and my hands were constantly on Umberto’s body, reminding him to kick and breath and evening out his strokes. 

I don’t know how long we were in the water, but the sun was setting over the hills and I no longer needed to support Umberto. We swam freestyle side by side, him trying to outpace me and me, letting him. We swam to the shore and I stood. When he reached me he grinned and then he laughed, brightly. I smiled back and he pulled me into a full embrace. My breath hitched as I brought my arms around him. 

“Grazie!” That word I understood well, and even though I knew the Italian word for welcome, I chose to answer in English. 

“You’re welcome.” 

 

He found me sleeping in the shade of late afternoon sun. I felt his soft breath and his lips on mine as kissed me. I didn’t bother opening my eyes as I kissed him back. Gently, almost gingerly at first and then with full desire of my heart. Tongues intwined and saliva intermingled as I pulled him on top of me.


End file.
